Gasworx has moved a step closer to reconnecting downtown Tampa and Ybor City after clearing a major infrastructure hurdle.
The City of Tampa has finalized the railroad agreements and property transfers needed to construct the East 4th Avenue rail crossing, a long-planned connection that will reconnect streets divided for decades by the CSX rail corridor and pave the way for the next phase of infrastructure supporting the 50-acre mixed-use district south of Ybor City.
Hillsborough County records filed this week show the city finalized permanent and temporary agreements with CSX Transportation and acquired nearly 4,900 square feet from a Gasworx development entity affiliated with KETTLER and Tampa developer Darryl Shaw. Together, the agreements provide the railroad rights and property interests needed to build the crossing, completing months of negotiations among the city, CSX and the project’s developers. A representative for Shaw confirmed to TBBW that the transactions have been approved, allowing the project to move toward construction.
The East 4th Avenue crossing is a cornerstone of Gasworx’s plan to restore Tampa’s historic street grid by reconnecting neighborhoods long divided by the rail corridor and Nick Nuccio Parkway. The broader infrastructure program includes nearly two miles of new public streets and utilities, two new CSX rail crossings, replacement of the existing roundabout with a traditional street network and a public park—improvements designed to better connect downtown Tampa and Ybor City while unlocking future development across the district.
The latest approvals build on actions taken over the past several months. In December, Tampa City Council approved a $921,409 agreement with CSX to construct the crossing, along with a separate agreement governing its long-term maintenance. Under the agreement, the city will pay CSX upfront, as required by the railroad, and be reimbursed by the Gasworx developers.
With the required land transfer complete, the remaining agreements needed to move the crossing from planning to construction are now in place.